Two new projects in development at Starz prove that the cable network isn’t afraid to go dark and gritty when it knows it’s in good hands.

Spartacus creator Steven S. DeKnight is working on Incursion, a sci-fi action thriller about soldiers engaged in war with an alien race. The hook: Each season will take place on a new planet as the good guys push farther and farther onto the extraterrestrials’ turf. The project, which promises harsh combat scenes and complex male and female characters set against an intergalactic backdrop, is part of DeKnight’s overall deal with the cable channel.

The second series, Vlad Dracula, blends historical fact about the 15th century’s Prince of Wallachia and vampire lore to tell the tale of the most famous bloodsucker of all time. The team behind the horror-based series includes J. Michael Straczynski (Thor, Babylon 5), Roy Lee (The Ring) and Rob Tapert (Spartacus, Xena: Warrior Princess).